Countries with nomad visas

More than 50 countries now offer some kind of visa for remote workers, but only a fraction of them are worth your attention. This guide covers the programs that people actually use: real requirements, real fees, and what each visa demands from your health insurance, verified against official government sources.

All figures verified July 2026. Requirements change, so we recheck this page regularly and link to our full guides for each country where they exist.

🧭 Which visa fits you?

• Lowest income requirements: Colombia, Ecuador and Brazil all sit around €1,300 to €1,400 per month, and Brazil accepts US$18,000 in savings instead of income. For nomads under 30, Taiwan asks just US$20,000 per year.
• No income requirement at all: Thailand's DTV, the only major program that wants savings (500,000 THB) rather than a salary.
• Longest runway: Thailand (5 years), Spain (up to 5 on the permit track), Ecuador (2 years renewable to 4), South Korea (3 years).
• Open to every nationality: Ecuador, with Brazil and Costa Rica close behind.
• Fastest to permanent residency or citizenship: Ecuador allows a permanent residency application after just 21 months. And the big 2026 shift: Portugal raised citizenship from 5 to 10 years, so the famous "5 years to an EU passport" is over. For Latin American citizens, Spain is now the fastest EU passport at 2 years of residency.
• Lowest fees: Spain and Croatia stay under €100 in Europe, and Ecuador's $320 buys a full 2-year visa. Mauritius is free.
• Highest bars, biggest prizes: South Korea (about US$74,000 per year baseline), Japan (¥10,000,000 per year) and, surprisingly, Romania at about €5,400 per month, while most guides still quote €3,700 from years-old wage data.
• Watch the net income trap: Cyprus, Estonia, Greece and Hungary all measure income after tax. Their thresholds are effectively 25 to 40% higher than they appear when compared with gross-income countries.
• Bringing family: Malaysia is the standout, even parents can join. Portugal includes family from the start. Hungary's White Card allows no family reunification at all.
• Zero or low tax: the UAE has no income tax, Croatia and Costa Rica exempt nomads outright, Romania charges nothing under 183 days, and Malta caps at a flat 10% after an exempt first year. South Korea just permanently relaunched its visa program with reduced income bars for under-35s settling outside Seoul; Taiwan extended its visa to 2 years; and the Philippines' visa is signed into law but not yet accepting applications.

🇪🇺 Europe

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

• Length: 1 year, renewable once for up to 2 years in total. New in December 2025, one of Europe's freshest programs. It is a residence-only permit. There is no path to permanent settlement through this permit.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens who are employees of a company registered outside the EU, owners of (or 25%+ shareholders in) a foreign company, or freelancers serving foreign clients for at least 1 year. Working for Bulgarian clients is not allowed.
• Income requirement: At least €31,000 per year (about €2,583 per month), defined as 50x the Bulgarian minimum wage. [Official information: Migration Directorate of the Ministry of Interior, which handles the residence permit step and publishes the official fee tariffs. A dedicated English digital nomad page does not exist yet, the program is that new.]
• Fee: €100 for the Type D visa at the consulate (the official MFA rate), then about €260 for the 1-year residence permit plus a small ID card fee once in Bulgaria. Budget roughly €370 in government fees, and the permit fee again at renewal.
• Health insurance: Required for the entire stay, valid in Bulgaria and across the EU.
• Income tax: Bulgaria's flat 10% income tax is among Europe's lowest. Staying 183+ days per year generally makes you a Bulgarian tax resident.

🇭🇷 Croatia

• Length: Up to 18 months in total (extended from 12 months in a March 2025 law change), issued as one 18-month permit or 12 months plus one extension. It cannot be renewed beyond that: you leave Croatia for at least 6 months before applying again, and there is no path to permanent residency by design.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens working remotely for foreign employers, foreign clients, or their own company registered outside Croatia. Any work for Croatian companies is grounds for rejection or revocation. Spouses and children can join through family reunification.
• Income requirement: €3,622.50 per month in 2026, set at 2.5x Croatia's average net salary and re-indexed every spring (it was €3,295 until March 2026, so ignore older figures). Alternatively, savings of €43,470 for 12 months or €65,205 for 18 months. Proof: 6 months of bank statements or payslips. [Official page: MUP temporary stay of digital nomads, applications run through the online portal at digitalnomadscroatia.mup.hr]
• Fee: About €88 in government fees per MUP's official fee tables (€46.45 stay application, €31.85 biometric residence card, €9.29 administrative fee), plus a Category D visa fee if your nationality requires a visa to enter.
• Health insurance: Private health insurance covering the entire duration of your stay.
• Income tax: Croatia's standout feature: permit holders are fully exempt from Croatian income tax on foreign remote income, even beyond 183 days. The exemption is written into the law, one of the cleanest tax deals in Europe.

🇨🇾 Cyprus

• Length: 1 year, renewable for 2 more years, up to 3 years in total.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens working remotely for foreign employers or clients (EU citizens use the Yellow Slip instead). No work for Cypriot companies. Spouses and children can join but may not work. The program operates under an annual quota of 1,000 permits (doubled in October 2025), which can fill up quickly, so apply early in the year.
• Income requirement: €3,500 per month net, after taxes and social contributions. That net wording matters: most countries measure gross, so Cyprus's bar is effectively higher than it looks. Add 20% for a spouse and 15% per child. Proof: 6 months of bank statements or payslips. [Official page: Cyprus Digital Nomad Visa Scheme, Deputy Ministry of Migration]
• Fee: €140 in total for first-time applicants: €70 for the residence permit plus a one-time €70 registration in the Aliens' Registry. Renewals cost €70.
• Health insurance: Private insurance covering inpatient and outpatient care, including repatriation of remains. Nomad visa holders have no access to GeSY, Cyprus's public health system, so private cover is your only healthcare route for the full stay.
• Income tax: The visa alone does not make you a tax resident. That happens at 183 days, or voluntarily via Cyprus's 60-day rule. For those who opt in, the non-dom regime is famously generous: 0% on dividends and interest for 17 years, and a 50% exemption on employment income above €55,000.

🇪🇪 Estonia

• Length: Up to 12 months (a long-stay D visa allowing 365 days within 12 consecutive months). Not renewable: afterward you leave and can reapply later. The visa includes Schengen travel rights.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens working remotely for a foreign employer, through their own foreign company, or for clients mostly based abroad. Note that e-Residency is a separate thing entirely: it lets you run an Estonian company online but does not grant you the right to live in Estonia. The nomad visa does.
• Income requirement: €4,500 net per month, demonstrated over the 6 months before applying: the highest bar in Europe, and the official Estonian page confirms it is measured net, not gross.
• Fee: €120 state fee (the long-stay D visa rate, older sources still quote €80-100).
• Health insurance: Required for the entire stay, valid in the Schengen area (the standard Schengen minimum of €30,000 applies).
• Income tax: Staying 183+ days in any 12-month window makes you an Estonian tax resident under Estonia's flat income tax, and the tax authority applies the rule strictly.

The e-Residency program pairs naturally with the visa for anyone who wants to run an EU company while living in Tallinn:

E-Residency in Estonia

In today’s interconnected world, borders are becoming increasingly fluid, and opportunities for international collaboration and entrepreneurship abound. Estonia, a pioneer in digital innovation, has launched an innovative solution to embrace this trend: the E-Residency program. Estonian e-residency…

Genki Guide for Digital NomadsSarah Kuhlemann

🇬🇪 Georgia

• Length: 365 days visa-free, no application, no visa, no fee. Citizens of 95+ countries (the EU, US, UK, Canada and Australia among them) simply fly in and stay a full year. Leaving and re-entering starts a fresh 365 days, though building a life on the border deserves a plan B.
• Who can apply: Nobody applies, that is the whole point, just check the visa free list before booking. One 2026 development worth knowing: Georgia introduced a work permit system in March 2026, then rolled it back for remote workers in April. The current rule: working remotely for clients outside Georgia requires no permit, while working for Georgian clients or the local market does. And despite what older articles claim, there is no dedicated Georgian digital nomad visa; the visa-free year is the offer.
• Income requirement: None. [Official information: geoconsul.gov.ge, the consular portal with the visa-free country list]
• Fee: None.
• Health insurance: Not required for entry. For a year in the Caucasus, you want it anyway: Tbilisi's private clinics are good and expect payment, and complex cases often mean treatment abroad.
• Income tax: The famous part. Register as an Individual Entrepreneur with Small Business Status and pay just 1% on turnover up to 500,000 GEL (about €165,000) per year, 3% above that. Some professions (medical, legal, financial) are excluded. Staying 183+ days makes you a tax resident with worldwide declaration duties, and the regime's fine print has tightened in 2026, so set it up with a local advisor rather than a blog post.

🇬🇷 Greece

• Length: A two-step system: a Type D visa for 12 months, then a Digital Nomad Residence Permit for 2 years, renewable in 2-year cycles. Time on the permit counts toward the 5-year path to EU long-term residence. Important change: since February 5, 2026 (Law 5275/2026), you must apply for the initial visa at a Greek consulate before traveling. The old route of arriving as a tourist and applying inside Greece has been abolished. Once you hold the nomad visa, you still need to convert to a residence permit in Greece before the visa expires.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens working remotely for employers or clients outside Greece, with a signed declaration that no work will be done for Greek companies. Spouses and children can join with a 20% and 15% income top-up, respectively.
• Income requirement: €3,500 per month net, after taxes, like Cyprus and unlike most of Europe, so check your take-home pay, not your gross. Proof through 6 months of bank statements alongside contracts or invoices. [Official page: Work From Greece, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal, with permit details at migration.gov.gr]
• Fee: €75 for the D visa plus a €150 administrative fee. The number most guides hide: converting to the 2-year residence permit costs about €1,000 more, plus €150 per family member.
• Health insurance: Comprehensive private health insurance covering the entire period of stay, including emergency care and repatriation.
• Income tax: 183+ days makes you a Greek tax resident. Greece advertises a 50% income tax break for up to 7 years for newcomers who transfer their tax residency, but whether remote workers with foreign employers qualify is genuinely disputed, so get cross-border tax advice before you count on it.

🇭🇺 Hungary

• Length: The White Card runs for 1 year and renews once for a second year, for a maximum of 2 years. Renewal requires actually living in Hungary (at least 90 days in every 180) and applying 45 days before expiry. After two years you leave and reapply, and White Card time never counts toward permanent residency.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens employed by companies registered abroad, or owners and managers of foreign companies. The defining restriction: no family reunification at all. A spouse or partner must file their own application and independently meet every requirement, including the income bar.
• Income requirement: €3,000 net per month over the previous 6 months, doubled from €2,000 in 2024, and it is an ongoing condition. The card can be withdrawn if your income drops below it. [Official page: White Card factsheet, National Directorate-General for Aliens Policing]
• Fee: €110 when applying at a consulate abroad. Visa-free nationals already in Hungary pay less: roughly €60 applying online through the Enter Hungary platform, or about €100 in person.
• Health insurance: Private insurance valid in Hungary for the full stay, with a minimum coverage of € 30,000, or proof that you can pay for care yourself.
• Income tax: Under 183 days a year, no Hungarian income tax on foreign earnings. After 183 days, you become a tax resident, and Hungary's flat 15% personal income tax is among the lowest in the EU.

🇮🇹 Italy

• Length: 1 year, renewable annually as long as you keep meeting the requirements, with no quota cap. Apply at an Italian consulate before traveling, then request your residence permit (permesso di soggiorno) within 8 days of arrival. Launched in April 2024, with operational guidelines finalized in March 2026, so this is a young but fully working program.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens doing highly qualified remote work, in two streams: freelancers with foreign clients, and employees of foreign companies. Highly qualified means one of: a bachelor's degree, a license in a regulated profession, or 5+ years of professional experience (3 years for ICT roles). You also need 6 months of documented remote work history in your field. Spouses and minor children can join, with the family permit process streamlined in March 2026.
• Income requirement: About €28,000 gross per year (roughly €2,333 per month), the lowest bar among the major Western European programs. The legal formula ties it to 3x Italy's healthcare exemption threshold, so consulates quote slightly different figures, some as low as €24,789. Aim for €28,000 to be safe, and note that only income from your actual remote work counts: passive income like dividends or rent is excluded. [Official portal: vistoperitalia.esteri.it, the Foreign Ministry's visa system, with appointments booked via prenotami.esteri.it]
• Fee: €116 for the consular visa, plus standard residence permit fees once in Italy.
• Health insurance: Comprehensive medical insurance valid in Italy for the entire stay, with at least €30,000 coverage. Consulates explicitly reject bare-bones travel policies: they want real medical cover including hospitalization.
• Income tax: 183+ days makes you an Italian tax resident. One myth to ignore: the "7% flat tax for digital nomads" you may read about applies to foreign retirees in small southern towns, not to this visa. Italy has no dedicated nomad tax regime yet (a proposal is under discussion in the 2026 budget). Self-employed nomads often use the regime forfettario, an effective 5% rate for the first 5 years on revenue under €85,000, and this is firmly professional-advice territory.

🇲🇹 Malta

• Length: The Nomad Residence Permit lasts 1 year and can be renewed up to 3 times, for a maximum of 4 years, with no path to permanent residency. Renewal has a real presence test: at least 5 cumulative months in Malta over the previous 12, proven through Maltese bank transactions, with the renewal filed 2 to 3 months before expiry.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens in three categories: remote employees of foreign companies, freelancers serving non-Maltese clients, and owners or directors of companies registered abroad. One official disqualifier worth knowing: working for a foreign company but serving its Maltese subsidiary makes you ineligible. Spouses, partners (including unregistered partners after 2 years of cohabitation), and dependent children can join, each adding to the income requirement.
• Income requirement: €42,000 gross per year, about €3,500 per month, raised from €32,400 in April 2024. Only active remote work income counts: savings and investment income are explicitly excluded. [Official page: Nomad Residence Permit, Residency Malta Agency]
• Fee: €300 non-refundable application fee per applicant, plus a small residence card fee. Applications run through the agency's online portal and typically process in 2 to 6 weeks, among the fastest in Europe.
• Health insurance: Health insurance covering your entire stay in Malta, with proof required within 30 days of approval.
• Income tax: Malta's headline feature: the only Mediterranean program with a dedicated nomad tax law. Your first 12 months of foreign remote income are exempt, and after that, a flat 10% applies to authorized remote work income, compared with a standard top rate of 35%. The official FAQ stresses that the permit alone does not automatically grant this treatment. Conditions in the tax rules must also be met, so confirm your position with an advisor. English being an official language makes that conversation easier.

🇵🇹 Portugal

• Length: Two tracks under the D8. The temporary stay visa allows up to 1 year of multiple entries, good for trying out Portugal without commitment. The residence route is what most nomads choose: a 4-month double-entry visa, then an appointment with AIMA (the migration agency) for a 2-year residence permit, renewable for 3 more years, with permanent residency available at the 5-year mark. Plan realistically: with AIMA's backlog, the full journey from paperwork to residence card currently takes 4 to 9 months.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens working remotely as employees of foreign companies or freelancers with foreign clients. Portuguese clients cannot be your primary source of income. Spouses and children can be included from the start (adding them later now means a 2-year family reunification wait).
• Income requirement: €3,680 gross per month, set at 4x Portugal's minimum wage (€920 since January 2026, up from €870, and the threshold rises with every wage increase). Add €460 per month for a spouse and €276 per child. You also need savings of about €11,040 (12x the minimum wage) in a bank account. One sharp detail: AIMA applies the minimum wage in force at your appointment date, not your filing date, so a wage increase mid-process can raise your bar. [Official portal: vistos.mne.gov.pt, the Foreign Ministry's visa site, with residence permits handled by aima.gov.pt]
• Fee: About €90 for the consular visa plus roughly €170 for the AIMA residence permit, so budget €250 to €300 including document costs.
• Health insurance: Required for the visa and the period until you can register with Portugal's public health system (SNS) as a resident. Given the AIMA timeline, that gap is measured in months, not weeks.
• Income tax: 183+ days makes you a tax resident, with progressive rates up to 48%. The famous NHR regime is gone: it closed to new applicants in 2024 and its transition ended in March 2025. Its successor, IFICI (sometimes called NHR 2.0, a 20% flat rate), targets specific high-value professions, and most remote workers with foreign employers do not qualify. And the biggest change of 2026: the new nationality law (in force since May 19, 2026) raised the citizenship timeline from 5 years to 10 (7 for EU and CPLP citizens), counted from the issuance of your first residence permit, with a new culture and civics test on top of the A2 language requirement. Permanent residency at 5 years is unchanged, but the "5 years to an EU passport" era is over for new applicants.

🇷🇴 Romania

• Length: A long-stay D visa applied for online, followed by a 12-month residence permit from the immigration office (IGI) once in Romania, renewable annually for up to 36 months in total. Processing is among the fastest in Europe at 10 to 14 working days, though gathering apostilled documents takes longer, so allow a 2-month lead time.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens employed by companies registered outside Romania or running their own foreign registered company, with all income from abroad. Family members can join through reunification once you hold the residence permit.
• Income requirement: 3x Romania's average gross salary, which for 2026 means about 27,600 RON, roughly €5,400 per month. The reference salary of 9,192 lei is set by law each year, and because Romanian wages have risen sharply, the €3,700 still quoted by most guides reflects wage levels from the visa's launch years. Proof runs through 6 months of bank statements or payslips. One consolation: at renewal the requirement drops to just 1x the average salary. [Official portal: evisa.mae.ro, the Foreign Ministry's eVisa platform]
• Fee: About €120 for the D visa plus roughly €120 for the residence permit, cheaper than most Western European programs.
• Health insurance: Valid in Romania and covering the full stay.
• Income tax: Romania's quiet superpower, with a catch. Under Law 69/2023, digital nomad visa holders pay no Romanian income tax or social contributions on foreign income, but only for stays of up to 183 days in any 12 consecutive months. Stay longer, and you become a tax resident in Romania at a flat 10%, still one of the lowest rates in the EU, plus social contributions. Since January 2025, Romania is also a full Schengen member, so the permit includes 90 days in 180 days of travel across the zone.

🇪🇸 Spain

• Length: Two routes under the Startup Law. Apply at a consulate for a 1-year visa and convert it after arrival, or apply directly from inside Spain to the UGE (the fast-track unit for strategic applications) for a 3-year residence permit straight away, renewable for 2 more years. Permanent residency comes at 5 years. The UGE makes a decision in about 20 working days, and unanswered applications are approved. One long-game note: Spanish citizenship takes 10 years for most nationalities, but just 2 for Latin American citizens, which, after Portugal's 2026 law change, makes Spain the fastest passport for that group.
• Who can apply: Non-EU citizens with a degree or 3 years of professional experience, either employed by a foreign company (the relationship must be at least 3 months old and the company at least a year old) or freelancing. Spain's unique flexibility: freelancers may earn up to 20% of their income from Spanish clients. The practical hurdle for employees is social security: you need proof of coverage, usually an A1-style certificate under a treaty between Spain and your country, and without one the employee route can be blocked. Freelancers sidestep this by registering as autónomo. Family members can be included.
• Income requirement: €2,849 gross per month (€34,188 per year), set at 200% of Spain's minimum wage. The math explains the confusion you will see elsewhere: the 2026 SMI is €1,221 paid 14 times a year, and the authorities annualize it, so quotes of €2,442 or €2,763 come from older wages or simpler math. Add about €1,068 per month for the first family member and €356 per additional family member.
• Fee: Roughly €80 for the visa or permit application plus a small residence card (TIE) fee, varying by nationality and consulate.
• Health insurance: Europe's strictest wording: private insurance with no co-payments, coverage equivalent to the Spanish public system including routine care, repatriation in the event of death, and validity throughout Spain. Freelancers who register as autónomos gain access to the public health system, which satisfies the requirement on its own.
• Income tax: 183+ days makes you a Spanish tax resident. The Beckham regime is the draw: a flat 24% tax on employment income up to €600,000 for up to 6 years, though it mainly applies to employees, and most freelancers are excluded. Standard progressive rates reach 47%.

🌏 Asia

🇮🇩 Indonesia

• Length: 1 year as an E33G Remote Worker KITAS, a full residence permit applied for entirely online, no embassy visit needed. The official portal no longer offers a set duration or an in-country extension path, so staying beyond a year means applying for a fresh visa. An official Family Dependent for Remote Worker visa exists for spouses and children, something most guides miss.
• Who can apply: The visa's official name says it precisely: employees of companies abroad working remotely in Indonesia. You need an active employment contract with a company registered outside Indonesia plus proof of that company's incorporation. Business owners can qualify as employees of their own foreign company. Freelancers with a client roster rather than an employer are in a gray area, and approval is not guaranteed.
• Income requirement: US$60,000 per year, roughly US$5,000 per month, proven through payslips, tax returns or bank deposits, plus a separate bank statement showing at least US$2,000 over the last 3 months. [Official portal: evisa.imigrasi.go.id, Indonesia's e-visa platform]
• Fee: IDR 7,000,000 (about €400) as the official visa fee, with realistic all-in costs of IDR 11.5 to 13 million once the re-entry permit and local processing are added. Agent packages cost more, and you do not need one: you can run the application through the official portal yourself.
• Health insurance: Bring proof of coverage for your application file, and, more importantly, for the reality on the ground: Bali's private clinics handle everyday care well, but serious cases are evacuated to Jakarta or Singapore, so a policy with real medical transport coverage is essential here.
• Income tax: Indonesia promotes the E33G as tax-free on foreign earnings, as long as you do no work for Indonesian clients or companies. Take that with professional care rather than at face value: Indonesia's general 183-day tax residency rule still exists in its tax code, and how the exemption interacts with long stays is a question for a tax advisor, not a blog post.

🇯🇵 Japan

• Length: 6 months. Not extendable. You can reapply after spending 6 months outside Japan.
• Who can apply: Citizens of 49 countries and territories (visa-waiver countries with tax treaties). Spouses and children can accompany you under the same status, though they cannot work in Japan.
• Income requirement: At least ¥10,000,000 per year (about €57,000). One of the highest bars worldwide. [Official information: the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where applications run through your nearest Japanese embassy or consulate]
• Fee: ¥15,000 single entry (about €90) or ¥30,000 multiple entry (about €175), for applications from July 1, 2026.
• Health insurance: Private health insurance with at least ¥10,000,000 in coverage for treatment and repatriation is an official requirement.
• Income tax: Stays under the visa generally do not make you a Japanese tax resident.

Japan digital nomad visa: requirements and how to apply

Japan’s digital nomad visa offers 6 months of fully legal remote work in one of the world’s most rewarding countries, if you clear the ¥10 million income bar. Here’s who qualifies, what the new 2026 fees cost, and how to apply step by step.

Genki Guide for Digital NomadsSarah Kuhlemann

🇲🇾 Malaysia

• Length: The DE Rantau Nomad Pass, technically a Professional Visit Pass, runs from 3 to 12 months (you choose the duration upfront) and renews for up to 12 more months, for a maximum of 24 months. Processing takes roughly 4 to 8 weeks, applied online through MDEC, Malaysia's digital economy agency. A regional variant, DE Rantau Sarawak, launched for Borneo-based stays.
• Who can apply: Two tracks with very different income bars. Tech and digital professionals (software, cloud, cybersecurity, AI, UX, digital marketing and similar) qualify at the lower tier. Since June 2024, non-tech professionals qualify too, from CEOs and consultants to HR managers and technical writers, at a much higher tier. One rule most guides get wrong: freelancers and independent contractors may serve both Malaysian and foreign clients, whereas remote employees must work for a foreign employer. Contracts must run longer than 3 months. Spouses and children can join, and unusually, so can the main pass holder's parents.
• Income requirement: More than US$24,000 per year (about US$2,000 per month) for tech and digital professionals. More than US$60,000 per year (about US$5,000 per month) for non-tech professionals. Both figures come straight from MDEC's official criteria. [Official page: mdec.my/derantau, where applications are submitted]
• Fee: MYR 1,000 (about €200) for the main applicant plus MYR 500 per dependent.
• Health insurance: Coverage for your stay in Malaysia is part of the official document checklist.
• Income tax: Malaysia taxes on a territorial basis and currently exempts most foreign-sourced income for individuals, so nomads who earn income from abroad generally owe no Malaysian income tax. Two caveats: freelancers who take Malaysian clients owe tax on that local income, and stays beyond 182 days change your residency status, so longer plans deserve professional advice.

🇵🇭 Philippines

• Length: 1 year, renewable once for a total of 2 years, once applications open. And that is the catch: the visa was created by executive order in 2025, but as of July 2026 the implementing rules are still not in force, so nobody can apply yet. Until then, the practical route stays the tourist one: 30 days visa-free for most nationalities, extendable in-country for up to 36 months, one of the most generous tourist regimes anywhere.
• Who can apply: Once live: applicants 18 or older working remotely for clients or employers outside the Philippines, with no access to the local labor market. There is a reciprocity rule: your passport country must offer a digital nomad visa to Filipinos and host a Philippine embassy.
• Income requirement: The figure circulating is US$24,000 per year (US$2,000 per month), but treat it as indicative; the executive order only requires sufficient income from outside the Philippines, and the real threshold will be set by the implementing rules. [Official updates: the Department of Foreign Affairs at dfa.gov.ph]
• Fee: Not yet published. Estimates of US$200-300 circulate, unconfirmed.
• Health insurance: Required for the entire stay under the framework.
• Income tax: The framework keeps nomads out of the local labor market, and foreign income earned by non-resident aliens generally falls outside Philippine tax jurisdiction. Confirm the details once the implementing rules are published.

🇰🇷 South Korea

• Length: Up to 3 years on the F-1-D workation visa. The program just graduated from pilot to permanent status: it officially launched on June 30, 2026, with eased rules, following a pilot that ran from January 2024 through May 2026.
• Who can apply: Remote employees of foreign companies with at least a year of employment history. Applications run through Korean embassies and consulates.
• Income requirement: The baseline is 2x Korea's previous year GNI per capita, about US$74,000 per year with 2025 GNI at US$36,963, one of the steepest bars anywhere. The 2026 launch added regional incentives: applicants aged 18 to 34 who settle outside Greater Seoul or in designated population-declining regions qualify at just 1x GNI, about US$37,000. Korea is openly using the visa as a regional revitalization policy. [Official information: the Hi Korea immigration portal]
• Fee: Standard consular visa fees, typically under €100 depending on nationality.
• Health insurance: Private coverage of at least ₩100,000,000 (about €62,000) including medical treatment and repatriation is an official requirement.
• Income tax: No special exemption. 183 days in Korea makes you a tax resident under normal rules.

🇹🇼 Taiwan

• Length: 6 months initially, renewable in 6-month increments up to 2 years total. The 2-year ceiling is new in 2026; the program launched in January 2025 with just 6 months. Taiwan also offers a second route worth knowing: the Employment Gold Card, a 1- to 3-year residence permit with an open work permit and a path to permanent residency for professionals earning NT$160,000 per month (about US$5,000) or qualifying by profession.
• Who can apply: Remote workers applying through Taiwan's overseas missions, with two age tiers and a lovely third door: you also qualify if you already hold a digital nomad visa from another country.
• Income requirement: US$40,000 per year averaged over the past two years for applicants 30 and older. US$20,000 per year for ages 20 to 29, one of the lowest bars anywhere for young nomads. [Official information: Talent Taiwan, the government's dedicated portal]
• Fee: Standard visitor visa fees, varying by nationality.
• Health insurance: International health insurance covering your stay is part of the application requirements.
• Income tax: Under 183 days a year, you stay a non-resident and foreign income sits out of scope. Cross 183 days and normal Taiwanese tax residency applies.

🇹🇭 Thailand

• Length: 5 years, with stays of up to 180 days per entry, extendable once per entry for another 180 days (about 1,900 THB).
• Who can apply: Most nationalities. Applications run through Thai embassies and the official e-visa system. [Official portal: thaievisa.go.th, with a dedicated DTV page]
• Income requirement: No monthly income requirement. Instead, show savings of at least 500,000 THB (about €12,500).
• Fee: 10,000 THB (about €280), charged in your local currency by the embassy handling your application, so the exact amount varies slightly by country.
• Health insurance: Not an official DTV requirement, but strongly recommended for a multi-year stay.
• Income tax: Staying 180 days or more in a calendar year makes you a Thai tax resident.

🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

• Length: 1 year, renewable, self-sponsored. Dubai runs the best-known version (the virtual work program). Abu Dhabi has its own variant, and the federal remote work visa covers the country as a whole. All follow the same shape.
• Who can apply: Remote employees with proof of work for an employer outside the UAE. Business owners can apply too, with a higher documentation bar including proof of at least a year of company ownership. Requirements have been tightening through 2026 (six consecutive months of bank statements since January), so check the official page close to your application date.
• Income requirement: US$3,500 per month, confirmed on the UAE government portal as of March 2026, shown through a salary certificate and bank statements. [Official information: u.ae, the federal government portal, with applications via ICP or GDRFA Dubai]
• Fee: The visa fee itself is small (AED 200 at GDRFA Dubai), but budget several hundred euros all in: Emirates ID, the mandatory medical fitness test, and processing fees add up.
• Health insurance: UAE-valid health insurance is mandatory, plus a medical fitness test as part of the process.
• Income tax: The headline reason people come: the UAE levies no personal income tax on employment earnings. Mind your home country's exit rules rather than UAE ones.

🌎 America

🇧🇷 Brazil

• Length: 1 year, renewable once for a second year. Brazil created Latin America's first digital nomad visa in January 2022 (VITEM XIV under Resolution 45/2021), and its structure has remained refreshingly stable since. Two routes exist: apply at a Brazilian consulate before traveling, or apply from inside Brazil for a residence authorization on the same basis if you are already there.
• Who can apply: Remote workers and freelancers of any nationality working exclusively for employers or clients outside Brazil. Dependents can be included, adding US$60 per month per person to the income requirement.
• Income requirement: US$1,500 per month from foreign sources, or a bank balance of at least US$18,000. That is the lowest bar of any major nomad visa anywhere, a quarter of what Romania now asks. [Official information: every Brazilian consulate publishes the VITEM XIV checklist on gov.br, with applications through the e-consular system]
• Fee: Consular visa fees vary by nationality under Brazil's reciprocity rules, typically around US$100.
• Health insurance: Insurance valid in Brazil is a required document on the consular checklists, with US$30,000 the commonly cited minimum coverage.
• Income tax: Spending 184 days in Brazil within any 12-month window makes you a tax resident, taxed on worldwide income at progressive rates up to 27.5%. Shorter stays keep you outside the system.

🇨🇴 Colombia

• Length: Up to 2 years.
• Who can apply: Citizens of around 100 visa-exempt nationalities. Others need a different visa route.
• Income requirement: 3x the Colombian minimum monthly wage: COP 5,252,715 in 2026 (roughly €1,300 per month). Resets every January. [Official information: the Cancillería's visa pages, with applications fully online]
• Fee: €44 study fee (paid on application, non-refundable) plus €106 issuance fee if approved. €150 in total.
• Health insurance: Required and specific: the Cancillería names seven coverages your policy must include, including maternity.
• Income tax: Staying 183 days or more in any 365-day window makes you a Colombian tax resident.

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

• Length: 1 year, extendable for a second year, with a catch worth planning around: the extension requires at least 180 days of physical presence in Costa Rica during your first year. Applications run online through the DGME's Trámite Ya platform.
• Who can apply: Remote employees, freelancers, and business owners working for clients or companies outside Costa Rica. Dependents can join, and each family member needs their own insurance coverage.
• Income requirement: US$3,000 per month for an individual; US$4,000 per month for a family group, as evidenced by bank statements. Costa Rica codified its nomad program into law (Law 10008 of 2021), so these figures are statutory rather than the product of administrative whim. [Official information: the tourism board's digital nomad page, with applications through the DGME]
• Fee: US$100 with the application plus US$90 for your residency document on approval.
• Health insurance: Named precisely in the rules: medical insurance with at least US$50,000 in coverage, valid for the entire stay, for every person on the application.
• Income tax: The law's headline perk: digital nomad visa holders are explicitly exempt from Costa Rican income tax on foreign earnings, and Costa Rica taxes territorially anyway, so foreign income stays untouched even on longer stays.

🇪🇨 Ecuador

• Length: 2 years, renewable once for up to 4 years in total.
• Who can apply: Citizens of every country.
• Income requirement: About $1,446 per month (3x Ecuador's basic salary). Resets every January. [Official information: the government's procedure page for the Visa Nómada, applied through the Consulado Virtual]
• Fee: $320 in total, and the entire application happens online.
• Health insurance: Required for the entire visa period.
• Income tax: Staying 183 days or more per year generally makes you an Ecuadorian tax resident.

Ecuador digital nomad visa: requirements and how to apply

Ecuador’s digital nomad visa is Latin America’s quiet overachiever: 2 years of residency, renewable to 4, open to every nationality, just $320 in fees, and an income bar under $1,500 a month. Here’s who qualifies, what it costs, and how to apply fully online.

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🇲🇽 Mexico

• Length: Mexico has no digital nomad visa, which surprises people, given that it may host more nomads than any other country on earth. Two real routes exist. The short one: tourist entry for up to 180 days, though border officers now grant shorter stays at their discretion, so 180 is a ceiling rather than a promise. The long one: the Temporary Resident Visa, initially 1 year, renewable up to 4 years total, with permanent residency possible afterward.
• Who can apply: Anyone who can show economic solvency. The catch that defines the whole process: you must apply at a Mexican consulate outside Mexico. Each consulate converts the official formula into local currency its own way, and some only serve residents of their district. Where you apply genuinely changes your odds. After approval, you enter Mexico and exchange the visa for your resident card at the INM within 30 days.
• Income requirement: Around US$4,400 to 4,500 per month over the previous 6 months, or roughly US$73,000 to 80,000 in average savings over the last 12 months. These figures rose again in January 2026 with the annual UMA update, and individual consulates post their own numbers (San Diego's official 2026 sheet says US$4,510). [Official information: your consulate's pages at consulmex.sre.gob.mx, each publishes its own solvency sheet]
• Fee: US$54 for the consular visa, plus the INM resident card fee in Mexico, which depends on the duration you choose and rose in 2026.
• Health insurance: Not required by most consulates for the visa. For life in Mexico, you want it regardless: private hospitals deliver excellent care and expect payment or proof of coverage at the door.
• Income tax: Spending 183 days in Mexico or making it your center of vital interests makes you a tax resident and subject to tax on worldwide income. Shorter or split stays deserve professional advice, since Mexico considers more than just day counts.

🌍 Africa

🇲🇺 Mauritius

• Length: 1 year as a Premium Visa, renewable. Applications run fully online, and first responses typically arrive within 48 hours, one of the fastest turnarounds anywhere.
• Who can apply: Remote workers, freelancers, and business owners earning from outside Mauritius, with no access to the local labor market. Dependents can be included.
• Income requirement: US$1,500 per month for the main applicant, plus US$500 per month for each unmarried dependent under 24. [Official information: the Passport and Immigration Office, applied through the government's online platform]
• Fee: Nothing. The Premium Visa is completely free, the only nomad visa anywhere without a government fee.
• Health insurance: Travel and health insurance covering your entire stay is on the required document list.
• Income tax: Staying 183 days makes you a tax resident, but Mauritius taxes foreign income on a remittance basis: money transferred into a Mauritian bank account counts, while spending on foreign cards generally does not. Long stays deserve a conversation with the Mauritius Revenue Authority or a tax advisor.

🇳🇦 Namibia

• Length: 6 months, designed as a single stay. Staying longer means a fresh application rather than an extension.
• Who can apply: Remote workers employed or contracted outside Namibia. A spouse adds US$1,000 per month to the income requirement, and each child US$500. The document list is old-school: alongside a police clearance, you need a medical certificate and a radiological report.
• Income requirement: US$2,000 per month, shown through payslips, bank statements or an employment contract. [Official information: the NIPDB's digital nomad visa page, where applications are handled]
• Fee: N$3,300 (about US$180), payable on approval. Older guides still quote US$62, the fee has risen since launch.
• Health insurance: Valid international health and travel insurance is required.
• Income tax: A 6-month stay keeps you under Namibia's 183-day residency line, and Namibia taxes on a source basis anyway, so foreign earnings stay out of scope.

🇿🇦 South Africa

• Length: Up to 3 years on a visitor's visa for remote work, applied for from outside South Africa through your nearest mission.
• Who can apply: Remote workers employed by or contracted to companies outside South Africa, with no local employment allowed. The document list includes 3 months of bank statements, a medical certificate, a radiological report and police clearance.
• Income requirement: R650,796 gross per year (about R54,200 or €2,600 per month), straight from the Home Affairs gazette notice. Careful with other guides: many quote R650,976, a digit transposition that has spread everywhere, including into AI answers. The government's own documents say 650,796. [Official notice: the Department of Home Affairs requirements]
• Fee: Standard visitor visa fees, varying by consulate.
• Health insurance: Not on the official document list, a rarity. For the reality of South African healthcare, where excellent private hospitals expect payment and the public system is under strain, coverage is strongly advisable anyway.
• Income tax: The clever part of the design: stay 6 months or less in any 12-month period, and you owe South Africa nothing and need no tax registration. Cross 6 months, and you must register with SARS, the revenue service.

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